Because I didn’t meet Katie and Ryan until their wedding, we did most of the photo planning over the phone. Ryan kept mentioning this old red barn with an American Flag where he really wanted to take some photos a few miles away from their church in Iowa. It turned out to be an amazing backdrop for photos with the wedding party.

The whole day was full of surprises: from the very emotional ceremony to the crazy “evolution of dance” inspired first-dance, Katie & Ryan made their wedding very personal, emotional, and joyous. I was especially honored that Ryan chose me to be his wedding photographer, not only because he is a pretty successful hobbiest photographer with a keen aesthetic sense, but because he is also an active member of the military. I am not usually so openly patriotic, but I just can’t imagine anyone I would rather have defending the country than Ryan, and I am so glad that he has Katie by his side. Congrats, you two, and thank you for choosing me to document your lovely wedding!